Ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride (ELA) is derived from naturally occurring substances, L-arginine and lauric acid. It has cationic surfactant properties. It also has antimicrobial activity against bacteria, algae and fungi. ELA acts by modifying the permeability of cell membranes of living organisms. It is mainly known to be effective against the gram positive bacteria and gram negative bacteria. It is envisaged that it would be used as a multi functional component in the formulation of cosmetic products. The active ingredient of ethyl lauroyl arginate is the hydrochloride salt of an N-fatty acyl-substituted amino acid ethyl ester, ethyl-Nα-lauroyl-L-arginate HCl.
Ethyl lauroyl arginate is a white powder and its solubility in water at 20° C. is greater than 247 g/kg.
Structure of Ethyl N-lauroyl-L-arginate HCl

Ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride and its hydrolysis products have been sufficiently characterized to assure safe human consumption. Because of its antimicrobial properties, cationic surfactant activity and due to its non-toxicity it is useful as surfactant, antimicrobial and anti-static agent in cosmetic and toiletry formulations such as soaps, oral care products, deodorants, anti-dandruff shampoos. It is also useful as a preservative in the food industry.
Methods of synthesis of ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride have been reported in several patents/patent applications.
Following patents/applications disclose methods of synthesis of ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride
Patent No. ES512643 discloses a process for synthesis of ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride in two steps. The first step is the esterification of basic amino acid with alcohol, using thionyl chloride as a catalyst to give esterified amino acid and the second step is the condensation of an esterified amino acid derivative with a fatty acid as a free acid in the presence of coupling reagent such as dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC). Furthermore, the first step of esterification involves heating for about 16 hours.
In another, Patent EP0749960, a two-step process for preparation of ethyl lauroyl arginate hydrochloride is disclosed. The first step is the esterification of amino acid with alcohol in presence of thionyl chloride as a catalyst. Step one is differing from step one disclosed in ES512643by providing in the first step a dispersion of the basic type amino acid in alcohol and adding catalyst like thionyl chloride to this dispersion in drop-wise manner. A further difference is that the second step i.e. the condensation of an esterified amino acid derivative is carried out with fatty acid halide instead of fatty acid Furthermore, the second step of condensation of esterified amino acid is performed in aqueous alkaline medium at pH about 8-10.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 7,087,769 discloses a process for the preparation of cationic surfactants derived from the condensation of fatty acid chlorides with esterified amino acids in an aqueous medium in the pH range of 6 and 6.9.
Still further, Indian Patent application No. 2616/MUM/2008 discloses methods of synthesizing ethyl lauroyl arginate.
The yield obtained in these prior art processes is low. Further, the aforesaid processes do not provide a comparatively pure product. Accordingly, it is desirable to develop a single pot process for the synthesis of a hydrochloride salt of ethyl lauroyl arginate on the commercial scale which can provide a better control of parameters like temperature and pH during the reaction process as well provides better quality and quantity product with ease of isolation.